


taken

by dourhorsing (notapieceofcake)



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Coercion, Concerned Percival (Merlin), Good Mordred, Good Morgana (Merlin), Kidnapped Merlin (Merlin), Kidnapping, M/M, Mentioned Mordred (Merlin), Morgana/Gwen hinted at, Multi, Protective Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Protective Knights (Merlin), Sexual Coercion, all the knights have a thing for merlin, no beta! we die like knights of camelot T_T, nothing explicit really - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:47:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24864802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notapieceofcake/pseuds/dourhorsing
Summary: merlin has been kidnapped and of curse the king is going to rescue his best friend, and of course his knights won't let him go alone.things don't exactly go according to plan- but then again, when do they?
Relationships: Elyan/Merlin (Merlin), Gwaine/Merlin (Merlin), Knights of the Round Table & Merlin (Merlin), Knights/Merlin (Merlin), Lancelot/Merlin (Merlin), Leon & Merlin (Merlin), Leon/Merlin (Merlin), Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin (Merlin)/Original Male Character(s), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin/Percival (Merlin)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 140





	taken

_But I want to go_ , Leon wanted to shout. He didn’t care that he was a trained knight and that there was no honor lost in staying back.

Looking at Guinevere, he reined in the impulse just fine though. She didn’t shed a tear, but there were dark circles under her eyes. The crown on her head sat as regally as ever, but having known her since childhood, the knight could see the weight of it was making her crumble.

The Queen looked at him, her gaze knowing, like she could see to his deepest part, and he wanted to look away. He didn’t want her to see him like this especially not when she was pained herself.

Lancelot was eyeing him strangely, and Leon knew his brother in arms wanted to say something to him, but eventually he turned and followed the King out of the throne-room.

While the eldest knight appreciated his friend’s concern, he was glad Lancelot didn’t say anything and neither did the others. Small mercies, he supposed.

“You can, you know?” Gwen’s voice was quiet when she spoke, but it still surprised him.

He looked questioningly at her, “My Lady?”

The Queen fixed him with a knowing smile, though it still did not reach her eyes. “I know you how much you want to go with them, Leon.”

Seeing her there, sitting on her throne, poised and majestic, yet still in pain, he felt like an idiot. How could he compare to her bond and her desire to go? After all, she had been the first to befriend Merlin after all. She understood him and had a connection to the servant that was different than all of them did.

And yet, as Queen, she was confined to staying put and keeping Camelot secure and running while the rest of them could go and make sure first-hand that the man came back unharmed. Arthur was lucky she was Queen, and so good at it too, because it meant he could leave the kingdom in her capable hands to go in search of his errant servant.

Yet, Gwen had not uttered a word of her desire, though she had been vocal in the strategy-making, working closely with the Lady Morgana.

What right, then, did Leon have to feel so upset at having to stay and make sure the Queen could delegate the needed tasks to him and run the kingdom smoothly. Besides, he trusted the King, and he trusted his friends. They would rescue Merlin and bring him back safe and sound.

For now, he needed to be there for Gwen.

“No, Your Majesty. I trust them to bring him home.”

xXx

There was a piercing ache behind his eyes, and Merlin regretted waking up even before he could open his eyes. His head felt light and heavy at the same time, like he was floating far away, but couldn’t lift it from his chest. The sound that filtered through his ears was dull too, as if he were submerged under water, but he knew that was not the case, because he was breathing just fine.

Reaching for his magic was instinctive by now, although he couldn’t sense it. He shuddered, trying to reach deeper, because he knew it was still there, he could feel it, but it wouldn’t come to him like it normally did.

Trying not to panic, he screwed his eyes shut, and reached out again and heaved a sigh of relief when it slowly responded.

Merlin knew his eyes glowed, even if just for a second, but his magic was dormant again after that.

A hand was carding through his hair then, a voice purring soothing words, and Merlin felt immediately at ease, even though the headache remained. It was mild now anyway, and there were more hands on his body, caressing, squeezing, all so gentle that Merlin feared he would melt into a pile of mush.

Now that he knew his magic was safe tucked away inside his body, he remembered being cared for by the soft hands and being surrounded by the smell of ripe earth and fresh blossoms.

His skin tingled everywhere, but it was a nice kind of tingle and he sighed long and low, feeling any remaining tension leaving his muscles. There was a charge in the air- Magic, he could tell, but it was light and tender, and not restricting his magic, so Merlin didn’t care about it sizzling in the atmosphere; especially when it made him feel so good.

A moan escaped him, loud enough that he snapped his eyes open again and saw a young man, around his own age, smiling down at him as he caressed his face. His skin had a soft glow, and a wreath of flowers sat atop his dark curls; Merlin realized he was naked besides that crown, but that information didn’t matter to the servant! He was handsome, and his hands were gentle where they caressed his body, and his voice was honey-sweet.

“Are you ready? You’ve been clenching your legs for a while now. We can help you.”

His voice was so sure yet not unkind, and Merlin didn’t want to speak. He just wanted to pant and moan and let these soft hands take care of him.

But when nothing happened, and the man just gazed at the warlock, Merlin bit down the urge to pout and nodded frantically. Whatever the beautiful man was saying, he knew better, and Merlin just needed those hands back.

He laughed a musical laugh, tipping his head back, pleased with Merlin’s answer. “Oh, you will love it, dear!”

The servant didn’t get the chance to smile in response before large hands were sitting him up, and he blinked as the handsome-flower-prince, for he had to be a prince- he was handsome and gentle and could definitely command a room, got to his feet; he was picked up by the figure who had been seated behind him the whole time, his large hands soft on his skin and hold light enough that Merlin could wriggle out without struggling if he wanted to.

But he did not want to struggle- he wanted to be taken care of like the flower prince promised him. So he wrapped his arms loosely around the broad shoulders and rested his head under the giant’s chin, legs dangling off his arm, as he followed the flower prince out of the cave and onto a well-hidden clearing.

xXx

If someone were to ask the tall man, he would be inclined to say that he had either crossed the veil into another world, or he was dreaming. After all, the scene before him was surreal, absolutely unrealistic, and not just because of the center attraction.

And what an attraction that was! Try as he might, Percival could not tear his gaze away. The knight was only thankful that his instructions had been to wait till the signal before rushing in, because he feared that he wouldn’t have been able to jump into action even if it had been ordered while that continued on.

The thing that chilled the knight to the core was that in all his time with the Druids and their minimalistic life in the wild, he had never seen people live in such a way or partake in such practices. He couldn’t help but watch with morbid curiosity, as he saw something he’d only heard a tale of once come to life.

There was a crowd of onlookers spread around in a large ring around the couple in the middle. And what a strange crowd that was. The group of onlookers was made up of mainly men, all from young men to those who had greying hair and crowsfeet at the corners of their eyes; with a few women scattered in the crowd. They all wore crooked crowns of flowers woven together on their heads, and nothing else. They were bare.

A large figure was huddled in the center, and Percival knew he was large because he could clearly make him out from the distance, while the surrounding people were a blur or smaller bodies. He also wore a crown of flowers, and he was bent over on his hands and knees, over what Percival realized was another figure. The only cloth for miles around was the lush looking, white furskin spread underneath the couple at the center.

Percival couldn’t make out what the other looked like, but it appeared to be a man too, and his gut clenched strongly as an image of Merlin, defenseless Merlin under that towering bulk, pierced his mind, and he clenched his fists and held his position, hoping the prone figure was not the servant they’d come to rescue. 

xXx

Morgana had an idea why Merlin had been targeted specifically. His magic- though, it had to be said that not everyone who attacked him or was drawn to him knew they were after his magic. So, if this was about magic, Morgana knew that logically, she should have stayed far away from here, lest she be in the same boat. However, Merlin was more than simply Arthur’s manservant- had always been much more than that. He was a friend to her brother, and her as well, and loyal to a fault. No, Morgana thought. She wouldn’t have stayed behind if the king had officially ordered her to- not when it came to helping Merlin.

Besides, she was going about this the rational way and had taken measures to ensure her brother didn’t waste time worrying about her safety when they needed to be focusing on retrieving Merlin.

Up in the skies, perched on the white dragon’s form, Morgana made quick work of scanning the plains that were wrapped in magic. She had limited time, and she closed her eyes, taking a moment to meld her mind with Aithusa’s to be able to better pick up on Merlin’s magic among all that chaos.

The moment she caught whiff of it, she felt a shudder go through her at the familiar feel of the magic however faint it was. She felt the growl rumble through the dragon as it too felt the weakness of the magic trail, and opened her eyes.

With the connection formed again, she could pinpoint the exact location where the warlock was being held.

She made a quick check and was pleased to see that her brother and the knights were in position, surrounding the campsite and infiltrating it as planned. Then she returned to the thin strands of magic reaching out to her from Merlin and almost yelled an expletive when her gaze caught him.

“There! He’s in the center of that crowd!” Morgana yelled, almost forgetting to connect to knight’s minds. She clutched onto the dragon, trying to soothe the distress she knew he was feeling too, before giving a last piece of order, “Percival, you’re closest! Get Merlin out of there!”

xXx

Reality tended to be more fucked up than anything dreams could conjure up, and Gwaine was learning that the hard way. The knight prided himself in having been around, travelling as much as he could, and thought he had seen most, if not all, in his rogue days.

However, even the strangest things he had seen in his days could not compare to the absurdity of the place they’d tracked Merlin to. A part of him felt smug and wanted to congratulate the errant servant- for only their dear Merlin could find a group of people so off-the-rails that dumbfounded even Gwaine.

The strange thing was that the whole society was fucked up. While Gwaine was no prude, and definitely encouraged body positivity, he figured only madness could explain people walking around naked as their name-day, in broad daylight. Madness, or magic- either possibility didn’t seem too different to the knight right now.

They were all in position, well-hidden among the trees surrounding the thicket, waiting for Lady Morgana to reach her position and act as guide. After all, they could not risk getting caught up whatever it was that plagued this society- it wouldn’t do to be caught off-guard in a magic-heavy place when they’d come to retrieve Merlin.

He couldn’t see much, but a crowd had formed, and the air seemed to thrum with energy. He couldn’t hear anything except the dull sounds of the drums being played somewhere among the crowd- the sound was oddly appealing because despite not having any set rhythm, it was still pleasurable and Gwaine found himself swaying to the crescendo.

Despite being a bit further off from the clearing, Gwaine was on slightly higher ground and could get a good look if he really focused.

A strange feeling in the pit of his stomach had him focus back on the crowd, only to see that it had parted slightly, just enough for him to be able to make out what the main attraction was. The knight immediately wished he hadn’t looked, because he wanted to retch and at the same time he wanted that for himself.

Merlin was spread out on what appeared to be furs, naked, and a stupid flower-crown sitting crooked on his head too, as a big man- and Gwaine really couldn’t describe him as anything else, moved rhythmically between the servant’s spread legs. He really didn’t know what stopped him from moving, but he watched, wide eyed, as Merlin whispered something or moaned something- he really couldn’t tell from this far away, but he saw the servant’s plump lips moving- and the man spread his legs wider, holding him by his thighs, and even from so far apart, the knight could tell that he was being gentle. He swallowed, gaze still fixed on the scene before him, as Merlin arched his back and pulled the man closer so he was flush against his chest, his lithe frame engulfed by the other’s brawn, who picked up the pace, fucking faster and harder into the servant splayed beneath him.

Then Lady Morgana’s voice was shouting in his head, and he was glad because he wouldn’t have managed to keep his post if that continued- whether or not Merlin was willing, he knew something was wrong here! After the initial call, Gwaine didn’t need to be told twice and rushed forward, sword drawn. The thought came unbidden, but the urgency that had been in the princess’s voice, and the way she had screamed for Percival to hurry, made him wonder if Morgana had witnessed Merlin’s state too.

xXx

Arthur and Lancelot had been together, having the most important position to defend, because this was the one place the people would rush to escape from an ambush, and could actually succeed, since the path lead to a thick forest and a deadly ravine.

The King liked Lancelot well enough, and he was glad to have the man for company as they waited. Lancelot was soft spoke, but there burned an intensity and wit in his eyes that reminded him of one witty servant- the very one they had come to rescue.

Honestly, Arthur was going to seriously have a talk with the idiot after they found him and ask why he was kidnapped more than any princess or highborn lady he’d ever known.

Merlin’s stricken face flashed though his mind at that, the one he made when Arthur was really testing him by blaming him for things obviously out of his control, and Arthur couldn’t help the fond smile pulling at his lips even in this situation.

He gazed up at his friend, wishing to share with him what just crossed his mind, but paused when he saw the pensive look set upon the knight’s face.

“Lancelot, what’s wrong?” he asked, hand already pulling his sword out of its sheath.

Said knight kept his gaze fixed on the floor, remaining quiet for a long moment, listening for something. Arthur listened too, and frowned. The drum beats had gotten louder and quicker, and there could only be so many reasons or possibilities.

“If it’s a ritual like we thought, then it’s probably coming to an end, Sire,” Lancelot said, following Arthur’s line of thought. “And whatever it is, I doubt it would bode well to let it be completed- especially with…” Though he trailed off, the King knew what he meant and couldn’t agree more.

 _Especially_ with Merlin most likely in their clutches.

“Either that, or they’re beating the drums harder to mask something else,” Arthur forced himself to say, not liking the trail his thoughts had just taken. How could they hope for one thing over the other when both prospects were equally bad at best, and one worse than the other at worst.

Lancelot placed a hand on his shoulder, gentle and firm, and locked eyes with him. Before he could get a word out, most likely to reassure him, their ears picked up the faint sounds being covered by the drum beats, and Arthur’s stomach sank.

At first there was the dull thumping, almost drowned out in the sound of the drums. And then there were moans and grunts they could hear now, filtered faintly through the loud crescendo, and Arthur didn’t know about Lancelot, but the sound filled him with horror. Surely if they were able to hear the moans and groans despite the music, they must be loud.

Something shifted, and for a moment the music dulled down, the thumping became distinct- they could not deny now that it was the sound of flesh hitting flesh; and they could hear the moans as clearly as if they were right next to the action.

The worst thing was that Arthur recognized the voice moaning and begging to be filled- he could pick that voice out of a crowd of hundreds after all. His grip tightened on the hilt of his sword, and when his gaze met Lancelot’s, he nodded in silent agreement, both ready to rush in.

Morgana’s voice was desperate and pained when she called for them, pouring her anger out into them through it, and both knights moved as one, swords drawn and blood boiling.

For Lady Morgana to have been driven into action, it must have been bad enough to take an emotional toll on her. They were all aware how attached the Princess was to Merlin, and she had been restless ever since his disappearance.

xXx

Elyan fidgeted in his place, sword drawn, driving back any of the tribe members trying to escape this route, whilst trying to keep the horses from panicking as chaos ensued. He had voted to cover this track, because he’s known they would succeed, but he had also known the enemy would try to escape from here if left unguarded, and in doing so, what trouble would it cost them to kill their horses or set them loose?

Still, as he saw Morgana’s eyes filled with angry tears as she rained fire down on them, much like a goddess seeking revenge. She never got close enough to get caught in the thralls of whatever the strange people had magicked around their patch of land, and never too close to burn anyone with dragonfire- just focused on scaring them away and creating enough chaos for her men to leave unscathed.

The knight got caught up in the vision she made, and it dawned on him now what his sister saw in the once-rogue Princess. He tensed when footsteps approached, ready to attack, but let out a breath when instead of Merlin’s kidnappers, Percival broke through the trees, carrying Merlin in his arms.

Elyan rushed forward, the sight worrying him and affecting him in more ways than one. The servant was pale, and his clothes were nowhere to be seen. Even his trademark neckerchief was gone, and Elyan clenched his fists in anger, unable to comprehend the kind of cruelty one would have to show to make someone so completely vulnerable- especially someone already as self-sacrificing as Merlin.

When he got closer, Percival shook his head minutely, and Elyan noted the strained expression on his friend for the first time. He had already taken off his cloak to wrap around the servant, but before he could move forward or ask Percival what happened, Merlin raised a trembling hand and caressed the gentle giant’s stubbled cheek.

“Percy please,” he begged, and it was so sweet despite his voice cracking. “I know you’ll be so gentle, Percival, please just help’m out.”

The servant didn’t seem to have noticed him yet, and Elyan felt a pang of worry as he noted the dilated pupils set upon the other knight’s face- like Merlin could only think of and focus on one person right now.

As gently as he could, Elyan wrapped his cloak around Merlin as best as he could, offering a shrug to Percival, whose arms got wrapped with the servant too.

Merlin had thankfully stopped talking, but had buried his face in the crook of Percival’s neck and was mouthing at the skin there, and rubbing his body against the knight in a way that had the poor man choking and grunting to not have an outward reaction.

He met Percival’s panicked eyes over Merlin’s back, and sighed. “I’m sorry buddy, just wait till the others get here,” he said, feeling like an ass, but he didn’t know what else to do.

Besides, Percival had great self-control and he was undoubtedly the gentlest out of all of them. Silently, he led his friend to the fallen tree and helped him sit down and rearrange the squirming bundle of servant in his arms.

There was a commotion, and Lancelot and Arthur stumbled out, looking flushed and angry, but otherwise unharmed.

Arthur looked ready to commit a few murders, so he wasn’t surprised the King didn’t say anything as the two stomped towards them.

“Lady Morgana and Gwaine have gathered the people responsible,” Lancelot called out by way of explanation just as the two came within earshot.

Elyan nodded, looking hesitantly between Merlin, who had managed to free one of his arms from the blanket and was tormenting Percival by caressing wherever he could reach, while Percival sat rigid with his ears a dark shade of red, and the stormy expressions on Arthur and Lancelot’s faces. By the looks on their faces, Elyan figured they must have known exactly what had happened, and were feeling quite murderous towards Merlin’s kidnappers.

The knight cleared his throat, breaking their gaze from the writhing servant, if only to get the attention off of Percival. He knew the knight was already shy, and this situation must be tormenting him. “Mordred should be here soon,” he supplied, slowly inching himself between Percival and the murderous duo.

The information didn’t seem to cheer the King up at all, but at least he looked less murderous and now and Lancelot remembered his manners and politely kept his gaze fixed on the shorter knight now.

“Let’s hope he’s found a Druid community and managed to convince them to help.”

“Druids are a peaceful people, and very knowledgeable… If anyone can provide insight on what this community is, it would be them. At the very least, they will know how to best handle the situation.”

Lancelot had barely finished his sentence, when a pained sigh had the three of them perk up. Elyan kept his back towards Percival, not bothering to turn around and add to his friend’s anxiety, but he heard well enough.

“It’s not fair, Percy. You took me away, and now I feel so empty,” from the sounds of it, Merlin was still trying to lick and bite marks onto the poor knight’s skin.

For the first time, since Merlin’s disappearance, Elyan saw something other than anger or sadness on the King’s face. Arthur had actually gone red, and his blush could rival poor Lancelot’s flushed face now, and despite wanting the earth to swallow him whole, Elyan allowed a smug smile to pull at his lips.

But then Melrin added, gruff and impatient, “What are you waiting for? I’m ready and willing, and begging you, Percival! My ass is still dripping cum there’s no way you’d hurt me! Do you… just find me ugly?”

Then the waterworks began, but for the first time, Elyan was glad for someone crying, if only to hear Percival sounding more like himself as she sushed the servant and dried his tears, reassuring him that he was gorgeous and so loved.

Not wanting to hear any more awkward declarations or demands, the knight walked away, going towards the horses and making sure everything was ready for when they had to leave. Arthur and Lancelot fell into step behind him a few moments later, following him as if in a daze.

Good, Elyan thought just for the sake of getting his mind off of _those_ images, share my discomfort!

Honestly, Mordred could not get there sooner!

**Author's Note:**

> can you believe i wrote that in one sitting?? sorry if i missed out any typos
> 
> i really had fun writing this, and was thinking that it could be made mutlichaptered/series. anyways, i wrote it like this so that i wouldn't have to keep anyone waiting for updates.
> 
> i hope you're doing well and staying safe in quarantine.
> 
> please leave a comment to let me know what you think <33


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